American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest
2023-09-27 – 2023-09-30 · Kansas City, KS
Reps: DAVE ROGERS, EUGENE WICKHAM, FORREST BRUCE, JULIE COOK, LARRY HADLEY, LARRY VOTH, LYNDA VOTH, PEG ROGERS, RUSTY COOK, SARAH WICKHAM · Prize money: $37,965.00
Grand Champion: FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY (706.8572) · 211 teams
Entries
Top score
Winning margin
Field average
Perfect 180s
Tightest race
Top-10 cutoff
Field spread
Prize money
How hot was the win?
Field strength
Storylines
🪒 A razor-thin finish
The Grand Championship was decided by 0.5828 points — closer than 89% of every championship in the data.
🧳 Out-of-towners took the title
FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY took the Grand Championship home to NJ.
🔥 A day of perfect scores
8 perfect 180s were scored at this contest.
🏟️ A stacked field
The field averaged a 1624 power rating going in — stronger than 97% of every contest tracked.
🃏 An upset on the books
FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY came in rated below the field's top team, GETTIN' BASTED, and took the Grand Championship anyway — roughly a 21-in-100 shot on pre-contest ratings.
Score curves (score by finishing position — steep cliffs mean a spread field, flat lines a knife fight)
Category showdown (top / average / median score per meat)
Score distribution
This contest over the years
| Date | Where | Teams | High score | Grand Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-09-16 | Kansas City, KS | 185 | 708.5372 | TRIPLE H BBQ |
| 2022-09-29 | Kansas City, KS | 249 | 711.9656 | QUE U |
| 2023-09-27 ← this one | Kansas City, KS | 211 | 706.8572 | FIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY |
| 2024-10-30 | Kansas City, KS | 169 | 709.7028 | Hot Daddy's BBQ |
| 2025-11-05 | Kansas City, KS | 158 | 710.8344 | Rooters-N-Tooters TN |
| 2026-09-30 | Kansas City, KS | — | — | — |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Master Series — Brisket
211 entries · top 180.0000 · median 170.2628 · 🔥 perfect 180
Master Series — Chicken
208 entries · top 178.8800 · median 171.7028
Master Series — Overall
211 entries · top 706.8572 · median 683.3596
Master Series — Pork
211 entries · top 180.0000 · median 170.8456 · 🔥 perfect 180
Master Series — Pork Ribs
211 entries · top 180.0000 · median 170.8344 · 🔥 perfect 180